On Your Radar: Fredgy Noël
On Your Radar is a Grad Film News segment that features a current student. We asked Fredgy Noël a few questions and this is what she said.
DESCRIBE YOUR EARLIEST CINEMATIC MEMORY.
My earliest cinematic memory is watching Harlem Nights when I was 9 or 10 years old. I was living in a small town in Gaithersburg, Maryland at the time, but I was born in Miami and raised in Haiti until I was 7 years old. My mom and I used to go to a dollar movie theater. She loved Eddie Murphy and I loved Richard Pryor, Jasmine Guy, and Redd Foxx. Having seen so many films and TV shows with white people in America, I was in awe of seeing Black people in an elevated environment, with elevated wardrobes and music, in this magical place called Harlem, which seemed like the Mecca for Black people in America. I was in love with every aspect of the film and knew one day I would move to Harlem.
WHERE DO YOU CONSIDER HOME AND WHAT IS IT LIKE THERE?
New York is my home. I’ve traveled to many places but have never felt as safe, seen, and loved as I do in New York. There’s something in the air here that lets me breathe easier. The locals take care of each other. The music. Constant change happens, but somehow, the place remains the same. I can be myself here and not feel the eyes of judgment and conformity.
WHAT IS CURRENTLY INSPIRING YOU AS A FILMMAKER?
My need to explore feelings and experiences that I've suppressed. Until now, my work has focused on intergenerational relationships, community, and life, but never on love. My collab project, Hail Maya, is my first love story, which makes the experience both exciting and surreal. I felt compelled to tell this story to explore my relationship with love - what it means, what it asks of us, and how it can disrupt the paths we think we’re meant to follow. I decided to make art that speaks directly to my experiences because I hope that other people who have had similar experiences can feel seen. This project is a leap into uncharted territory for me, both creatively and personally, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
See Fredgy's work at fredgynoel.com